Chapter 302. After the War (2)
Jin Sahyuk spoke words I couldn’t understand. But it didn’t seem like she was joking. To be honest, we weren’t exactly close enough to be exchanging jokes.
So I simply asked back.
“…You’re protecting me?”
“Yep, you heard right.”
She even put the manhwa down and looked at me seriously.
“…I need more details.”
Jin Sahyuk shrugged.
“I don’t know much either. It was an order from Bell.”
“Bell?”
“Yeah. He said Yi Yeonjun was planning to kill you. I know you’re not the type to go down easily, but people that Bell warn me about are usually strong.”
“…?”
‘Is it because I’m still drowsy? I feel like I just heard something crazy….’
I looked at Jin Sahyuk with a frown.
Jin Sahyuk shook her head.
“I already told you, I don’t know much. I just took you out of the bunker because Bell said it was dangerous for you to be around the Chameleon Troupe right now. So, I saved you, in a sense.”
“…Wait, did you just say Yi Yeonjun?”
I knew who ‘Yi Yeonjun’ was.
He was the former leader of the Chameleon Troupe who died as a result of Bell’s betrayal.
According to Boss, at least.
“Yeah.”
“Isn’t he dead?”
“Hmm….”
Jin Sahyuk stroked her chin as she tried to sort her thoughts.
“I don’t know the details, but… I heard he came back to life.”
“How’s that possible?”
“How would I know? More importantly,” Jin Sahyuk placed her index finger on my chest and said, “It’s your turn to speak.”
“Speak about what?”
“You said Bell confessed to you.”
“Confessed? What the hell are you….”
Then I remembered. Bell had informed me that he was Baal’s incarnation body and that I’d have to kill him in order to reach a happy ending.
Jin Sahyuk brushed her hair off her face and looked at me.
“…Bell said he told you all his secrets.”
“Ah, so that’s what you meant. Well….”
I shrugged my shoulders and told Jin Sahyuk everything I heard from Bell.
Her expression became more and more serious as I continued to talk. She even started to bite her fingernails when I told her that Bell was Baal’s incarnation body.
“…That’s all I heard from Bell.”
I finished talking and turned on my smartwatch. There were lots of messages from lots of different people, including Kim Suho and Evandel. But the name that caught my attention immediately was ‘Boss’.
[Hajin whre are you?]
[Where are you?]
[I have someone I’d like you to meet. Where did you go?]
‘Don’t worry, I’m on the Genkelope’s Vessel.’ I wrote back and got up from the bed. Then I took a quick tour around the place.
The gray walls were neat and the kitchen and the bathroom were clean. I could see the whole of the East Sea beyond the windows.
It was late at night and the ocean waves were dancing in the darkness. For me, it felt as if the ‘final arc’ that I didn’t know about was lurking in the very same darkness.
“What are you looking at?”
Jin Sahyuk came up to me. She, too, turned her gaze to the sea.
I asked Jin Sahyuk, “Do you still think I’m Kindspring?”
I smiled wryly at the thought of the misunderstanding. Sorting it out with Jin Sahyuk would most likely cost me a lot. Bringing up Kindspring just now raised ‘Synchronization’ by 0.3%.
[Current Synchronization — 13%]
Jin Sahyuk turned her head to look at me. She didn’t seem too upset now— perhaps Kim Chundong’s emotions had affected her as well.
She looked at me in the eyes and gave a small laugh.
“…Not anymore. But I’m sure you have something to do with Kindspring.”
I smiled. It was a silent affirmation.
Jin Sahyuk announced, “I’ll be by your side until I figure out your relationship with Kindspring.”
“…That’s also an order from Bell, huh?”
“Yeah. So just tell me one thing every month,” Saying so, Jin Sahyuk turned her gaze to the sea. I did so as well. Things I still didn’t know were dancing in the shadows.
It was then something suddenly crossed my mind.
I asked carefully, “…Do you still plan to return to your homeland?”
“Of course,” Jin Sahyuk nodded without a hint of hesitation.
“Why?”
“Because people are waiting for me there.”
“Akatrina has already fallen.”
“No, you never know. Akatrina is stronger than you think.”
“…”
As the original author, I knew that Akatrina had fallen for good. Not to mention, 30 years had passed after Jin Sahyuk’s death. Akatrina wouldn’t have been able to survive for that long.
“What if Akatrina doesn’t exist? Are you still going to go back?” I asked coldly. I was feeling somewhat sympathetic towards the king who hoped for something impossible.
“…It doesn’t matter.”
I thought Jin Sahyuk might get mad.
But instead, she shook her head calmly.
“Without Akatrina, I have no reason left to live.”
“…”
She carried the most resolute determination in the world. Though Jin Sahyuk lost many things, she still held onto this hope.
“I’ll gladly meet my death in my homeland.”
‘Akatrina’ meant everything to Jin Sahyuk.
[Someone inside you responded to the king’s conviction.]
[Synchronization has increased by 2%.]
[Current Synchronization — 15%]
[Warning! Be careful not to lose yourself.]
It seemed that Kim Chundong’s loyalty towards Jin Sahyuk was also genuine.
“…”
I turned away from Jin Sahyuk. To distract myself, I called Spartan. Spartan appeared out of the void and landed on my shoulder.
“What’s that?”
I ignored Jin Sahyuk’s question and turned my attention to my smartwatch.
[Hajin, I miss you ㅠ-ㅠ]
[I’m bored~]
[This is the spirit beast I made today~ Cute kitty~ Do you like it?]
[ㅠㅠ Why won’t you reply?]
[I miss you]
[ㅠㅠ]
All these were messages were from Evandel. I couldn’t answer because I had been unconscious.
They were enough to make me forget about Synchronization.
“…Spartan?”
—Piek?
“Let’s go see Evandel.”
—Prrr.
“What? Where do you think you’re going-”
With a nod, Spartan immediately activated Teleportation.
**
We arrived at a dense forest filled with the energy of spirit beasts. This forest belonged to Evandel.
Most humans could never enter this natural fortress because of the magic power filled up inside their bodies. But I could, thanks to my [Magic Dysfunction Physique] and the [Black Lotus Uniform].
I walked towards Evandel’s cabin with Spartan on my shoulder.
My Gift, [Master Sharpshooter], which had leveled up to grade-1, allowed me to comprehend the structure of the forest and Evandel’s location the moment I set foot inside it.
[♥ Evandel’s Cabin ^-^ ★]
Soon, I arrived at a cabin with a cute door plate.
With a smile of satisfaction, I knocked on the door.
I heard a noise inside.
Not being able to wait any longer, I peeked through the door. Evandel was rubbing her eyes in bed. It seemed she just woke up.
“Evandel, it’s me.”
I whispered in front of the door. Immediately, Evandel’s eyes widened. She got out of bed in a hurry and bolted to the door to open it.
“…!”
Her eyes became even bigger when she saw me.
“How have you been?”
“…Aaaang!”
Having been left alone for months, Evandel jumped into my arms with tears in her eyes. The way she called my name repeatedly—‘Hajin~ Hajiiin~’—made me tear up a little as well.
I hugged Evandel and patted her head.
…It was most definitely a touching reunion.
For the next 4 hours, I looked around the cabin with Evandel, went outside to play with Evandel and her spirit beasts, had Evandel introduce all of her spirit beasts to me one by one, and then returned to the cabin.
“Do you want to meet Rachel now?”
“Rachel?!”
Evandel squealed in joy.
“Yes, but we can’t meet her in person. We’ll just call her.”
“…Ah.”
At first, she seemed a little disappointed, but soon a smile appeared on her face.
For a more vivid experience, I opened an app called [Hologram]. I then sent Rachel a text asking her to give me a video call.
Tiriring—
Soon, my smartwatch rang, and I immediately picked up Rachel’s call.
[Entering Hologram Chatroom]
A hologram of Rachel appeared in front of us. It was so realistic that I felt as if Rachel was there in person.
“Hi.”
—What’s going on? How did you get in there, Hajin-ssi?
“I have my ways.”
“Rachel~”
Evandel spread her arms out and went up to Rachel. She was going for a hug, but because Rachel was just a hologram, Evandel passed right through Rachel’s body.
“Ah.”
—…Hold on a little longer, Evandel. We’ll see each other again soon.
Rachel gave a gentle smile. Evandel nodded.
But the heartwarming atmosphere did not last for long.
Beep— Beep— Suddenly, a number of messages popped up in the air accompanied by the sound of alarms.
[Administrator is entering the chatroom through admin permission.]
[Code:1231]
Administrator’s interference.
Immediately, a different hologram appeared in the cabin.
—Hm. So it was you two, after all.
“…What the.”
My heart skipped a beat from surprise.
The administrator who hijacked our chatroom was none other than ‘Yoo Yeonha’.
Yoo Yeonha looked at Evandel, then Rachel, then me before smiling.
—She’s that child?
Yoo Yeonha pointed at Evandel.
“H-Huh? What do you mean?”
I quickly hid Evandel behind me, but Yoo Yeonha frowned like a demon.
—I already heard everything from Rachel.
“What?” I turned to Rachel.
With a bitter smile, Rachel nodded.
—She’s right, though it was more like we got caught. But she promised to become Evandel’s patron. I left you a text because you didn’t answer the phone… I guess you didn’t see it.
Yoo Yeonha grinned and held out her hand to Evandel all of a sudden.
—Hi. It’s nice to meet you.
“Ah, yes, hello….”
Though a bit shy, Evandel responded courteously.
—Hmmn…. Cute girl.
“How did you even manage to come into this room?”
Yoo Yeonha folded her arms in a pompous manner.
—My company made this app. More importantly….
Tadadak— Yoo Yeonha started typing on a keyboard. She was trying to send a private message to me.
[You’re the one who asked Yoo Jinhyuk to investigate Yi Yeonjun, right?]
“…!”
I flinched, then threw a quick glance at Yoo Yeonha. She seemed convinced that it was me.
I really couldn’t get anything past Yoo Yeonha. At this point, I knew she wouldn’t believe me even if I said it wasn’t me.
“Kuhum”
I let out a dry cough and nodded slightly.
[I knew it. We’re putting our all into the Yi Yeonjin investigation right now. The whole thing does seem a little shady, but why are you looking for a dead man?]
So she already figured out Yi Yeonjun is officially dead.
Impressed, I sent Yoo Yeonha a private message.
[Rumor has it that he’s alive.]
—Pardon?
Yoo Yeonha frowned further.
[Oh, then maybe….]
She didn’t finish her sentence, but I knew she was asking about the Kwang-Oh Incident.
[Yeah, Yi Yeonjin was the leader of the Chameleon Troupe during the Kwang-Oh Incident. Back then, the Chameleon Troupe was more cruel and inhumane than now.]
[…I see.]
Yoo Yeonha made a somewhat sad expression.
[I get why you’d want to catch him.]
Tadadak—
Her typing continued.
[…I get it but don’t do it alone. I know how much you resent the Chameleon Troupe, but… promise me you’ll work with me this time.]
Regret, sadness, determination, resolve… all those emotions were embedded in Yoo Yeonha’s expression.
[Okay. I’ll count on you, then.]
I replied with a faint smile.
However.
Rachel, who had been left out all along, suddenly narrowed her eyes.
—…What are you two doing?
—…Doesn’t concern you. It’s something important.
Yoo Yeonha waved her hand at Rachel as if shooing away a fly. Rachel closed her mouth in embarrassment. Determined to take revenge, she then tweaked a few settings, shrinking the size of Yoo Yeonha’s hologram.
—What the. What are you doing? Can’t you tell that I’m in the middle of a conversation?
—No, I’m the one who was in a call with Hajin-ssi. You’re the intruder, Yeonha-ssi.
—What? Are you kidding me?! …Wha-
Suddenly, Yoo Yeonha’s voice became high pitched. Rachel had not only altered Yoo Yeonha’s size but also her voice….
—What do you think you’re doing? Change me back! We didn’t make this feature so that you could do something like this!
—Haha. You’re cute when you’re small, Yeonha-ssi. Would you like bunny ears as well…?
Rachel tapped on the screen a couple of times. Yoo Yeonha’s nose became red and a pair of bunny ears popped up on her head.
—Hey! Are you crazy?!
Yoo Yeonha was not the type to let things slide. She used administrator privileges to make Rachel smaller than Evandel.
—Ah. What is this? Change me back!
—You started it.
—Stop being childish.
—You’re the one to talk.
Yoo Yeonha and Rachel, both 130cm tall, glared at each other.
Evandel watched them as if she was watching a play. I called Spartan.
“Spartan?”
—Prrr.
Words weren’t necessary between me and Spartan.
Spartan could read my mind and always did what I needed him to do.
“Nothing’s wrong with the invisibility cloak, right?”
—Prrr.
“Good. Be careful, and if you get caught, return immediately.”
I asked Spartan to monitor Yi Yeonjun and Boss. I wanted to see what Yi Yeonjun was up to and protect Boss.
—Kiaaao!
Spartan flapped his wings and disappeared into the sky.
—Just because the media is calling you the Elemental Swordsman, you’re holding your head too high….
—Don’t you know that it’s a crime to use company admin rights to spy on a private chatroom…
Meanwhile, Rachel and Yoo Yeonha were still arguing with each other. They were yelling and pointing fingers at each other, but I couldn’t understand half the things they were saying because of the voice alteration.
It looked like it would take a while for them to settle down….
“Evandel, do you wanna go outside and play?”
“Yeah!”
Evandel grinned.
“Okay, let’s go.”
I let the two holograms quarrel and left the cabin with Evandel.
Outside the cabin was the forest full of Evandel’s spirit beasts.
The view was straight out of a fairy tale. The unicorn was flying in the sky, the cat and the squirrel were racing against each other, and the hare and the tortoise were scratching each other’s backs.
All was peaceful and heartwarming.
**
[Pandemonium, Chameleon Troupe’s Hideout]
At the rooftop of the Chameleon Troupe’s hideout, Yi Yeonjin was looking down at Pandemonium, the city that once belonged to the Chameleon Troupe. His eyes were dark but full of greed that could devour Pandemonium whole.
“…You did well, Byul. I’m proud of you.”
Yi Yeonjun patted Yi Byul who was standing beside him on the shoulder. Yi Byul looked at Yi Yeonjun with eyes full of confusion.
She had always believed that he was dead.
After she killed her own parents, Yi Yeonjun had taken on the role of her father. The fact that he had returned alive was something she couldn’t accept so easily.
“Um… Boss.”
“No, you’re the boss, Byul. Don’t call me that.”
But his voice, scent, the way he talked, and even his magic power were the same as before.
“I’m no longer a member of the Chameleon Troupe. The Chameleon Troupe belongs to you, and I don’t plan to take it away from you,” Yi Yeonjun said.
He looked at Yi Byul. Yi Byul looked up at him from below.
“…But you see, the Seat of Black that you took in… Kim Hajin, was it?”
All of a sudden, Yi Yeonjun said something totally unexpected.
“He’s dangerous.”
“…Pardon?”
“It’s not a surprise that you didn’t know, Byul. He teamed up with Bell. The same Bell who murdered me.”
A voice flowed into Yi Yeonjun’s ears as he spoke.
—You’re selling my name already?
It was a Mental Transmission from Bell.
Yi Yeonjun answered with a straight face.
—Byul thinks you’re the enemy. So if I can use you to turn her against him, then I will. You need to understand.
—…Hmm. It’s just that, I’m not sure it’ll work~
As Bell expected, Yi Byul quickly shook her head.
“No, you’re wrong. Hajin would never do that.”
Yi Yeonjun stared at her and gave a small smile.
“Really? I hope so. …Mm, I should go back now.”
“Pardon? To where?”
“My body isn’t completely recovered yet. Don’t worry, I’m not mad at you.”
“…But Boss, I mean… Wait.”
Yi Yeonjun tried to leave, citing his health as the reason, and Boss chased after him worriedly.
—See? I told you, Kim Hajin ruined Byul. She’s completely different now. If you want to get rid of him, you’ll have to do it yourself.
Another Mental Transmission flowed into his ears. Bell sounded cheerful as he made fun of his friend’s failure.
With a nonchalant expression, Yi Yeonjin kept his silence.
…Meanwhile, hidden in the deep darkness, a bird was watching them.
“Prrr—”
Spartan delivered not only the conversation between Yi Yeonjun and Boss but also the Mental Transmission Yi Yeonjun was receiving.
‘Yeah, I’m listening. Go after them, but come back if it looks like you’ll get caught.’
A reply from Kim Hajin.
Masked by the shadows of the night, Spartan chased Yi Yeonjun.